Short hops and hard knocks with Red Sox beat writer Ian Browne.

Dice-K checks back in — sort of

Daisuke Matsuzaka made his way to City of Palms Park today for the first time this spring, but it was on an off-day for the team. Matsuzaka, back from another successful stint at the World Baseball Classic, had his requisite physical that the rest of the pitchers went through on reporting day.

Matsuzaka threw on flat-ground in preparation for what is expected to be about a 50-pitch side session, after which the righty will speak to the Boston media for the first time since the end of 2008.

According to pitching coach John Farrell, Matsuzaka will throw about five innings against the Braves in DisneyWorld on Monday. No word yet if Mickey Mouse will be in attendance.

Otherwise, a quiet day. Justin Masterson reeled off 4 2/3 innings in a Minor League start and Rocco Baldelli got a bunch of at-bats in that same game.

Schwall before your time!?!? Does that mean you don’t know of Dick (Dr. Stonefingers) Stuart either??? Boy you are such a baby? (lol). How about Kemmer (Ken) Brett? Guy could throw it so it had flames on it. Unfortunately, almost every one was straight and the second time around the order it was throw the gas on the flames. I remember my father taking me to a double-header when I was about 15…Brett was pitching the opener. I don’t remember much about his pitching, other than he was gone by the 4th inning. What I do remember was my that Dad and his friends decided to bring in their own, and mixed a big water jug full of screwdrivers. They gave it to me to carry in, figuring no one would challenge me. They were right, no one did, although there was no reward. That was the last time I was anywhere near that jug that day!!!!! The things you do as a kid and never forget the rest of your life!!! I’ve got a weekend full of stories!!!

After practically no winter at all this year we are paying the piper with a nice little blizzard. I just finished shovelling 12 inches of snow off my driveway and my neighbor’s. It’s just her and her daughter and this is heavy stuff. Closed early so my staff could get home and here I am.

Sox are looking deep in the pitching department with lots of good starters if Buch, Penny and Smoltz can be healthy and/or effective. Nice, nice, nice.
If lopez and Delcarmen can finally pitch up to capability, or close to it, the Sox bullpen will be mighty indeed. Even if Pap’s shoulder shuts him down some during the season, Masterson can take the ball. He has ice water for blood. That kid didn’t flinch when he got the ball in post-season. He’s going to be good.
My two biggest concerns before spring started, Papi and Mike Lowell, are looking like they’ll be back to normal. Tek has been in the zone. Life is good, Sox fans. Life is very good.

You’re right, Arnie, life is looking very good for RSN! GREAT piece on Masterson! I love his attitude–“starter, reliever, I don’t care, I’ll pitch!” I love that we have this many starter/reliever versatile guys! (I put Wake in that class, also!) I am thrilled that Papi and Lowell are looking great!
I saw that about the blizzard out there–hope it relieves some of the dryness there. (We’re SLOWLY making it back out of drought stage!) I am still open to having some of that snow dumped on our front lawn (since I’m the only one who wants it)! ;)
GO SOX!

The names I have heard and read but never have seen them play. How old are you? Are you older than Kramer? I read one time where the Red Sox had a guy named Jim Rice and Wade Boggs on there team. You gotta remember, I just got out of high school last year. LOL!!

Arnie….

I don’t miss those days of shoveling snow. In Colorado, it can snow anytime I guess. I agree…life is good!

We have to be excited and encouraged by the Red Sox pitching. More amazingly relates to the fact that the Sox gifted pitchers are not overly paid. Beckett- $10,000,000, Lester – $6,000,000, Dice-K – $9,000,000 (?), and Wake – $4,000,000. It is hard to believe JD is the highest pay at $14,000,000.
You know the big mouth Lackey wants a 5 yr $80M – $90M contract and he was shut down for shoulder tightness.

I’ll be 57 on Tito’s birthday next month. My first game @ Fenway was late in the Summer of 1960. My Dad took me during Teddy Ballgame’s last year in a Sox uni, and he hit a home run “for me!” (lol) Between then and 1967, there were a lot of colorful figures. I do remember watching Pumpsie Green, the Sox first black player (you will remember the Sox were the last major league team to integrate). Behind the plate the Sox had Jim Pagliaroni, Russ Nixon and Bob Tillman primarily. On first base, the Sox had Pete Runnels, who kept winning Batting Titles, and Vic Wertz. On the mound the Sox had a bunch of characters — the most memorable were Billy Monbouquette, Earl Wilson, Ike Delock, Mike Fornieles, Dick Radatz, who, according to my memory was really the first closer/reliever of any consequence, and Gene Conley a tall guy who also briefly played center for the Celtics and wrote a biography about his life experiences entitled “One of a Kind”. At second, the Sox had Chuck Schilling (I don’t think there was a relation) at short, Ed Bressoud, at 3rd — Frank Malzone (Rico Petrocelli would come along in 1963), and they had a host of characters in the outfield with Yaz, including Gary Geiger and Lou Clinton.

I remember the Summer of 1962 when both Billy M. and Earl Wilson threw no-hitters. I had a boyhood friend sleeping over during Wilson’s no-hitter and we watched it from beginning to end.

Wilson was particularly interesting: not only was he the Sox 1st black pitcher, he was the first black to throw an American League no-hitter. I remember him taking a half a dozen or so others into the 6th or 7th inning. He had a control problem, and I remember one that he took into like the 7th inning or so, he’d walked 7 batters (sort of like Dice-K). Eventually, someone got the first hit and thereafter, the roof caved in.

There were other characters who came along, including Dalton Jones, Wilbur Wood, Felix Mantilla, Tony C., and David Morehead, who would himself throw a no-hitter for the Sox in September, 1965. Until the Dick Williams’ prophetic, but almost unbelievable, pronouncement during Spring Training in 1967 that the Sox would “win more than they would lose” and the subsequent 1967 Summer of the “Impossible Dream,” they were never very good, but they were entertaining!

Julia, I’d quit with the split…. I have a hard and fast rule about the teams I love… I NEVER bet on them, even friendly bets. I think it jinxes them… My heart is with the RedSox and I never ever bet my heart!!!

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